DNS (Diploma in Nautical Science)
One year residential at Lonavala, then sea time as a deck cadet. The institute describes DNS as the first year of the B.Sc Nautical Science degree, which is completed after ship time.
SIMS Lonavala · college guide
Samundra Institute of Maritime Studies: Courses, Eligibility and How to Prepare
For Class 12 PCM students — Physics, Chemistry, Maths · age 17 to 25 (relaxations apply) · girls and boys. Not PCM? This path is not open to you.
A plain guide to Samundra Institute of Maritime Studies: the courses it runs for a Class 12 PCM student, how admission works, and how NavPath prepares you for the exam and interview.
NavPath Academy is not affiliated with Samundra Institute of Maritime Studies. This is an independent preparation guide.
Samundra (SIMS) · Lonavala, Maharashtra
What Samundra Institute of Maritime Studies is
Samundra Institute of Maritime Studies (SIMS) is a residential pre-sea training campus at Lonavala, in the hills between Mumbai and Pune. It is run by a ship management group and also has a post-sea training facility in Mumbai. Its DNS and B.Tech Marine Engineering courses are approved by the Directorate General of Shipping and affiliated to the Indian Maritime University.
SIMS runs both deck and engine routes. Its website lists DNS and B.Tech Marine Engineering for Class 12 PCM students, and GME and ETO for engineering graduates. The DNS course is described as the first year of the three-year B.Sc Nautical Science degree.
Courses
What SIMS offers a Class 12 PCM student
Confirmed on the institute’s website. Confirm the current course list, seats and start dates on the institute’s website before you apply.
B.Tech Marine Engineering
A four-year IMU degree for the engine side, fully residential, with ship-in-campus training. The degree certificate is awarded by IMU.
GME and ETO
For engineering graduates only. Listed so that a Class 12 student does not apply to the wrong course.
How admission to SIMS works
IMU CET
DNS and B.Tech Marine Engineering are IMU programmes, so IMU CET is the first gate. The next public cycle is IMU CET May 2027.
Institute application and selection
SIMS takes applications through its own website and prospectus. Because the institute is run by a ship management group, its selection can include the group’s own test, psychometric round and interview.
Medical
A DG Shipping-approved medical with eyesight and colour-vision standards is part of admission to any sea-going course.
Sponsorship
Cadets at SIMS are usually linked to the group’s managed fleet for sea time, but the terms are in the institute’s prospectus and the company’s letter. Read both before you accept.
Samundra (SIMS) · before you apply
Questions to settle before you apply
- Which course is right for you: DNS, B.Sc Nautical Science or B.Tech Marine Engineering? Decide this in counselling with a parent present.
- Have you checked eyesight and colour vision with an approved doctor? Do it before you spend a year preparing.
- Have you read the institute’s current eligibility for Class 12 marks, English and age on its own website?
- Do you understand that admission and company sponsorship are two separate decisions by two separate bodies?
Read the Merchant Navy career ladder for the full officer route, then check your eligibility before you choose a course.
Questions families ask about Samundra (SIMS)
Does SIMS offer B.Sc Nautical Science?
The institute describes its DNS course as the first year of the B.Sc Nautical Science degree, completed after sea time. Confirm the current course list on the institute’s website.
Is SIMS good for the engine side?
SIMS runs a four-year B.Tech Marine Engineering degree with ship-in-campus training and is well known for it. IMU CET is the entry point.
Is admission to SIMS the same as sponsorship?
Not automatically. Admission is the institute’s decision. Sea time comes from a sponsoring company, and the terms are in the prospectus and the company letter.
Where is SIMS?
The pre-sea campus is at Lonavala, Maharashtra, between Mumbai and Pune. The post-sea training facility is in Mumbai.
How does NavPath prepare me for SIMS?
With a SIMS-specific module for the exam and interview, mock panels with sailing officers and engineers, psychometric practice and spoken English from week one.
More institute guides
Guides for other maritime institutes
Tolani Maritime Institute · Anglo-Eastern Maritime Academy · Great Eastern Institute of Maritime Studies · AMET University · HIMT College
Know the course before you sit the exam.
Check your eligibility, then apply for NEST, our IMU CET model test. Confirm every admission detail on Samundra Institute of Maritime Studies’s own website.